"In 1927, women were supposed to stay at home, mostly in the kitchen, with their feet planted firmly on the ground. But one woman proved that she could do anything a man could do - even fly an airplane. Before Amelia Earhart made her name crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Ruth Elder set out to beat her to the record. She didn't make it, but she flew right into the spotlight and America's heart.

This is the story of a remarkable woman who chased her dreams with grit and determination and whose appetite for adventure helped pave the way for generations of female flyers."

T antalizing taste:

"By nature, spunky Ruth wasn't easily cowed, but during the race she had a standoff with real cattle. On the second day, temperatures climbed to 120 degrees, causing extreme turbulence. The strong wind blew her maps over the side of the plane, and she landed in a farmer's field to get her bearings and fill her water bottle. As luck would have it, cattle were grazing in the pasture ...

But the farmer's wife was a bigger threat. Washing clothes outside in a washtub, she marched over to the plane and yelled at Ruth for scaring the cattle. Ruth didn't dillydally; she just swung the plane around and took off!"

and something more: I particularly liked that Flying Solo features a woman, Ruth Elder, who sought to be the first to cross the Atlantic and win the Powder Puff Derby. She wasn't the first or the winner, but she's recognized for trying and for what she did accomplish which was for a woman to be "flying airplanes [at a time when it was considered] not just daring but outright shocking."

The lovely dedication in Flying Solo by the author, Julie Cumminssays it all: "To the young women who see the horizon of their dreams and soar toward it - fly, girls, fly!"

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occupation: first and foremost... children's book author. Also SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) school group docent and Council Member, public library Board of Trustee member, former middle school Language Arts and Writing Workshop teacher and high-tech attorney

represented by: the fabulous Deborah Warren of East West Literary Agencyloves: children's literature, SCBWI, the beauty and power of words, modern art and architecture, chocolate, exploring new places, adventures, hiking, flower gardens, zumba, modern dance classes, my wonderful family and friends and adopted Humane Society tabby cat AND writing a true tale ... with something more!

And here's my picture book about a stellar Steller Sea Lion, a true story ...

illustrated by Shennen Bersani

ASTRO book award!

2011 Gold Mom's Choice Award

Tells the true tale of a stellar Steller sea lion, a threatened species. Only days old when found orphaned, Astro is cared for at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California. When big enough to be released, he has other plans! Astro swims back towards the Center and even joins a walk-a-thon! The book tells of his journey to his current home at the Mystic Aquariumin Connecticut.